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Five ways to get a website. Here’s the honest version.
Every option below works for somebody. This page is so you can pick the right one for you, including the cases where it isn’t us.
Side by side
What you pay, what you get, what you do yourself
| DIY builder Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy | Facebook page only | Freelancer | Marketing agency | FullRoute | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | $0 | $0 | $1,500 to $5,000 typical | $5,000 and up | $997 |
| Monthly | $15 to $50 plus apps | $0 | Hosting on you; edits billed hourly | $500 to $2,000+ retainers | $99, edits included |
| Your time | Evenings and weekends, forever | Posting to stay visible | Writing content, chasing updates | Meetings and approvals | About an hour, total |
| Who writes it | You | You | Usually you | Them | We do |
| See it before paying | Templates only | n/a | Rarely | No | Free preview of your actual site |
| Built for phones and tap-to-call | If you set it up | Call button exists, buried | Depends | Usually | Always |
| Your Google reviews on the page | With a paid app | No (Facebook reviews only) | Depends | Usually | Included |
| Edits after launch | You do them | You post | Hourly, when available | Included in retainer | 30 min/month included |
| You own the domain and content | Domain yes; site locked to the builder | You own nothing | Usually | Check the contract | Yes, in writing |
| Time to live | Weekends of work | Today | 4 to 8 weeks typical | 6 to 12 weeks typical | About 2 weeks |
| Can add AI phone answering later | No | No | No | Sometimes | Yes, same company |
Prices for other options are typical ranges we see, not quotes. Yours may differ. Our prices are exact.
Who each one is right for
Pick the one that matches you
DIY builder
- Cheapest if your time is free
- Full control, change anything any time
- Fine for a hobby or a side business
- Most never get finished or updated
- Writing it yourself is the hard part
- Apps for reviews, forms and booking add up
Right for you if: you enjoy this kind of thing and have a free weekend every month to keep it current.
Facebook page only
- Free and quick
- Great for photos and regulars
- Reviews and messaging built in
- Google searchers expect a website, not a feed
- Facebook decides who sees your posts
- No service pages, no tap-to-call hero, no control
Right for you if: you’re full from word of mouth and don’t need Google. We still recommend both, linked. Why →
Freelancer
- Custom work, often very good
- Direct relationship
- Can be a great value
- Hard to vet; quality varies a lot
- You usually write the content
- Hosting, edits and “where did they go?” are on you
Right for you if: you have a specific design in mind, you know a good one, and you’ll handle hosting and updates.
Marketing agency
- Full team: design, writing, ads, SEO
- Best for multi-location or franchise businesses
- Reporting and strategy included
- $5,000+ builds and $500 to $2,000 a month retainers
- Account managers between you and the work
- Long contracts are common
Right for you if: you have several locations or a real marketing budget and want one vendor for everything.
FullRoute
- Free preview of your actual site before you pay anything
- Written and built for you; about an hour of your time
- $997 and $99 a month, edits and hosting included, no long contract
- Can add an AI receptionist, chat agent and automations later from the same place
- Up to 5 pages in the Starter; a 30-page site with a blog is an agency job
- No custom web apps, e-commerce stores or member portals
- Small team by design: we take a limited number of builds at a time
Right for you if: you run a local service business, you’re found on Google, and you’d rather be on the job than building a website. Not right for you if: you need an online store, a large content site or a custom application. We’ll tell you so on the call and point you somewhere good.
Questions to ask anyone
Before you hire any web designer, including us
- Will I own the domain, the design and the content? Can I take the site elsewhere?
- What does it cost all in: build, hosting, SSL, edits, “maintenance plan”?
- Who writes the words? What do you need from me?
- Can I see it before I pay, or at least before launch?
- How long is the contract and how do I cancel?
- Who do I email when the phone number changes? How fast?
- Will my real Google reviews be on the page?
- Can you show me a site you built, on your phone, right now?
Our answers: yes; $997 and $99 a month with nothing else; we do; yes, free; 3 months then monthly; us, usually within a day; yes; yes.
The cheapest way to compare is to see yours
A free preview of your own homepage, with your real reviews, usually within one business day. Then decide.